City man ordered held as danger to society

WOBURN -- A Superior Court judge has ordered a Lowell man held without bail as a danger to society after he was charged with allegedly beating, choking and breaking the nose of a female friend in her Cambridge apartment last October.

John has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury (two counts), assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery (three counts), intimidation of a witness, possession of a firearm without an FID card, possession of ammunition without an FID card, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

John was arrested Nov. 5, when U.S. marshals, armed with a Cambridge arrest warrant, followed John from Tewksbury along Interstate 495 before arresting him in Littleton. Tewksbury and Littleton police departments, along with the State Police, assisted in the arrest.

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John was allegedly armed when he was arrested, police said. Police say they found packages of cocaine in a backpack John was carrying.

Prosecutor Suzanne Kontz alleges in court documents that John and the victim met in December 2011. The victim would allow John to stay at her apartment occasionally. Eventually she gave him a key to her apartment. During their relationship, the victim alleges John became physically abusive, leaving marks and bruises.

Kontz alleges the abuse culminated the weekend of Oct. 19, when John came home from a party with a friend and demanded the victim get off the couch so his friend could sleep there. When the victim refused, John allegedly picked her up and carried her to her bedroom, throwing her into a mirror, shattering the glass and cutting her leg, Kontz alleges.

The next day, the victim told a friend about the abuse. The friend in turn told John, who assaulted the victim again for telling other people he was violent, Kontz alleges. John allegedly punched the victim in the face, threw her down on the coffee table, choked her and put a handgun to her head, threatening to kill her, Kontz alleges.

John has a previous conviction of assault and battery during a robbery, Kontz said.

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